Decluttering sentimental items and photographs is really hard from an emotional standpoint. It's also one of those categories where we tend to amass the most volume.
I have a cabinet that is so packed I can barely get the doors closed. It's all sentimental items. I've been working my way up to the challenge of decluttering this space for a few years and dreading it.
As a category, I believe sentimental items-photos, heirlooms, or any physical object connected to the memory of someone, a place, or an event-are the hardest to edit. That said, I think the level of difficulty depends on your own personal situation and circumstances.
If you've lost someone you love (and yes this includes grieving the loss of someone still living), it can be incredibly hard to get rid of anything that reminds you of them or something you did together.
If you aren't a particularly sentimental person, it might not be that difficult to edit down physical memories, but then you probably wouldn't be reading this either.
So why declutter sentimental items if it can be emotionally painful?
Here is a list of some logical and more transcendental reasons:
The volume of items has outgrown the physical space you have to store them.
You've committed to decluttering your entire home and this is the last space or category left to tackle.
You are no longer single and the life you are creating with your new partner and/or family is as important as the journey that brought you together so you want to dedicate equal space for them.
By clearing out physical space, you will make room in your life to manifest new experiences and memories.
You've gone through a major life change. I'm talking here about a break up or divorce and you no longer want to hold space (physical or otherwise) for items connected to your ex. Maybe you aren't ready yet. I know it can be hard to part with items like these, but there is a lot to be said for making room in your life for new experiences, and new love. Ultimately, it might help by sitting with the feelings you have when you look at these photos or mementos. Do they make you angry? Sad? Indifferent? Ask yourself why you would hold onto something that makes you feel this way.
The physical item is not the same thing as the memory of the person that lives inside you. To be clear, I'm not talking about a handwritten note from a deceased family member. That actually is the closest tangible thing to a memory of someone. I'm talking about the everyday items we hold onto out of guilt.
How to declutter sentimental items
Now that we covered some of the reasons to declutter sentimental items, how do you do it? Where do you start?
I'll share detailed tips in a future post, but the best starting point is to consider your stage of life because this should inform your broad approach.
Here's what I mean:
Young adults should be actively collecting mementos based on lived experiences- spending time with friends, going to concerts and parties, traveling, and taking tons of pictures. The goal here is to simply create a high level system for organizing and documenting your tangible sentimental items (I will cover digital media in another post). This is not the time to edit your memories. Just keep enjoying life and collecting. You will however, want some order to your items so be sure to record dates and locations on anything physical or keep a running list of dates and events somewhere safe for example. This will make the job of editing and reorganizing these items easier later in life. Trust me, your older self will thank you for it.
Big life changes can come fast. Getting married? Having your first baby? The volume of sentimental collateral is about to hit an all-time high. Get ready. Seriously, that is how you edit your sentimental items based on this life phase. Create a plan just like you would plan every other detail of your big day or baby's arrival. What will you do with the cards? Photos? Do research on baby books and purchase one so you are ready (and can even get a head start). You can read about a baby book we love here. These are the kind of events you want to be documenting in near-real time so you won't need to edit in the future.
Midlife is very empowering. This is a good time to declutter sentimental items. You have never had a greater sense of self. Your priorities are completely different than 20 years ago and as you sift through your sentimental collection, you may find that many of the things that were once near and dear to your heart just don't have the same appeal to current day you.
If you are reading this post, you've likely put a lot of effort into decluttering your home. No matter your phase of life, if you are serious about maintaining a clutter free home or living a more simple life, you should treat sentimental items like any other items that come into your home. You should ask the critical question if the item is really worthy of taking space in your home.
Follow along for future posts where I'll document my process in detail for decluttering my sentimental items. In the meantime, what are some other good reasons to declutter sentimental items that have inspired you to action? What advice would you give someone who is thinking about tackling this kind of project? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.
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